On the 25th-26th of May, alongside Tom Garwood and Sheen Mclean Cabaneros, I competed in the ActinSpace Hackathon in Daresbury. The challenge was to build a business model plan for a product that uses space technology and data from satellites and coupled this with machine learning. The hackathon was set up by the French Space Agency (CNES) and united 60 cities across 5 continents. The aim of the hackathon was to identify projects with startup potential and support them with guidance and coaching to accelerate their project and turn it into real companies.
We designed a platform for use by logistics companies to allow for more efficient scheduling and routing of freight. This was achieved by using pattern recognition algorithms on satellite data to determine traffic density, and along with other collected variables, a deep neural network allows for predictions on the most effective schedule and route. A version of the platform would also be available for the commuter, as well as aiding in public transportation planning.
We had 24 hours to complete the challenge, and with an endless supply of coffee (I won the coffee competition with a total of 8 cups) we managed to complete the challenge with 2 hours to spare. After an 8-minute pitch and a question and answer session with a jury panel, we were proud to be awarded 1st prize in the competition for our innovative business plan for a niche market.
We won one-to-one business coaching in order to aid us in setting up our startup, and were asked to compete at the national finals in Oxford this June. Following the national final in June, there is also a grand final in Toulouse, in which the grand prize is a 0 gravity flight and further support for setting up a business. The competition is tough, but we were delighted to have won the Daresbury competition. Next stop Oxford!
